Connecting device for belts



Nov. 6, 1923. 1,472,910

G. E. HULSE CONNECTING DEVICE FOR BELTS Filed Mar h 20. 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 I 5 d5 "WI/A 11 10 1a %6? M jwweutoz 351;; a r/bonan a:

Nov. 6, 1923. 1,472,910

G. E. HULSE CONNECTING DEVICE FOR BELTS Filed March 20, 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 2 .M W MP 7? Patented Nov. 6, 1923.

GEORGE E. HULSE, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAFETY CARHEATING & LIGHTING- COHPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CONNECTING DEVICE FOR BELTS.

Application filed March 20, 1922. Serial No. 545,025.,

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HULSE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New Haven, in thecounty of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented an Improvement in Connecting Devices forBelts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to connecting devices for belts and the like.

One of the objects thereof is to provide a strong and reliableconstruction of the above nature which is well adapted to meet therequirements of hard practical use. Another object is to provide adevice of the above nature which is of simple and inexpensiveconstruction. Another object is to provide a construction of theabovenature which is dependable at all times-and requires a minimumdegree of attention during operation.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangement of parts as will be exemplifiedin the structure hereinafter described, and the scope of the applicationof which will be indicated in thefollowing claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are shown certain of the variouspossible embodiments of this invention,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a belt-connectinq device;

igure 2 is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modification 40 of the device shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 4; and

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similarparts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings in detail, there areshown at 10 and llrespectively two adjoining end segments of a belt. Asbest shown in Fig. 2,

the ends of belt segments 10 and 11 are preferably bent upwardly so thatthe faces of end portions 10 and 11 respectively contact along anupright plane, for instance at right angles to the plane of the belt. Itis to be understood that the belt surfaces 12 shown in Fig. 2 representthe pulley side of the belt and that by the ends being bent upwardly itis meant that they are bent away from this pulley side. It is also to beunderstood that by the tension sides of the contacting belt ends asreferred to hereinafter are meant those portions of ends 10 and 11adjoining belt segments 10 and 11 re} spectively and that by the freeends of the same are meant the extreme upper ends of end portions 10 and11.

On one side of contacting ends 10 and 11 is shown a clamping plate 14and on the other side is shown a corresponding plate 14". As shown inFig. 2, the plates 14: and 14? are preferably formed with roundedflanges 15 to provide smooth contacting surfaces free from sharp cornersagainst which the bent portions of the belt bear. The upper sides 16 ofplates 14* and 14 are preferably inclined slightly inward to snuglycontact with belt ends 10 and 11".

Passing through belt ends 10. and 11 and through plates 14 and 14 areshown a pair of links 17. The flanges 15 of plates 1 1 and 14 arepreferably grooved as at 21 to permit the insertion or removal of links17.

ods 18 and 19 extend parallel to and rest against plates 14* and 14)respectively and pass through openings in links 17 adjacent their ends.The openings in links 17 through which rod 18 passes are preferably of asize just adapted to receive rod 18. The openings in links 17 throughwhich rod 19 passes are preferably elongated to provide spaces for apair of wedges 20 which are driven into the openings together with rod19.

Rods 18 and 19 contact with plates 14 and 14 respectively throughouttheir entire extent, the plates being provided with recesses in whichthe rods rest.

Thus when wedges 20 are driven into place, the two plates 14 and 14: areforced together nd securely clamped with the belt ends 10 and 11"secured therebetween and frictionally engaged along their contactinsurfaces. Wedges 20 are preferably forme with a very gradual slope andtheir surfaces contacting with rod 19 are preferably grooved to fit thecontour of rod 19 and thus provide a maximum bearing surface so thatthere is no danger of their loosening in eerviw.

Since the clamping action of plates 14 and 14 is governed by thethickness of wedges 20 or by the distance to which they are driven intothe elongated openings in links 17, the belt end 10" and 11 clampedtherebetween are not necessaril limited to a single definite thickness.elts of slightly varying thicknesses may be received between the clampsstill employing the same length of links 17 and the same secure clampingof the two ends may be effected. If, for instance, the links 17 aredesigned for a fourply belt and it is found, as is frequently the case,that some four-ply belts are thicker than others, the clamping deviceset forth above will accommodate any of the various thicknesses andinsure a secure clamping of the belt ,ends.

vAs the belt is subjected to tension its curved portions bear upon thecurved flanges l5 tending to pull them away from each other, and theportions 16 of plates 14 and 14: tend to swing toward each other, therods 18 and 19 acting a pivots for plates 14 and 14 respectively. Thusthe portions 16 bear against the belt ends and tend to clamp them moresecurely together as the belt tension increases. A small clearance isallowed between links 17 and plates 14 and 14 (see Fig. 3) to allow forthis slight lever action of the plates.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, there is shown a slight modificationof the device above described. The two adjoining belt segments 10 and 11have their ends 10 and 11 bent upwardly from the pulley side 12 of thebelt, and two clamping plates 14; and 14 are placed one on either sideof ends 10 and 11 substantially as above described in regard to Figs. 1,2 and 3. A pair of connecting members 22 pass through belt ends 10 and11 and through plates 14 and 14 and are preferably provided at one endwith heads as 25, which heads are preferably rounded on their innersurfaces to fit the contour of groove 24c in plate 14: and are elongatedas shown to provide a substan tial bearing surface against plate 14*.Adjacent their other ends each of members 22 15 provided with anelongated opening into which a wedge 23 is driven. Wedges 23 thusbearagainst plate 14 and the outer sides of the openings in members 22 and,when driven tightly into place, they force plates 14! and 14 toward eachother and securely clamp belt ends 10 and 11 therebetween. Wedges 23 arepreferably formed with a gradual slope and their hearing surfaces arepreferably rounded to fit the contours of the openings in members 22 andof the groove 24 in plate 14 thus minimizing the danger of theirslipping out. The lever action of the plates 14 and 14 is attained inthe same manner as described in regard to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in thisinstance the wedges 23 and the heads 25 serving as the pivots for thetwo plates.

Thus in each of the embodiments described above there is provided ameans of joining two belt ends which forms a, secure frictionalconnection therebetween and in so doing places very little strain uponthe fabric .of the belt. sharp corners contacting with the belt andtherefore the danger of cracking or breaking of the belt is reduced to aminimum.

It will thus be seen that there is herein provided apparatus whichembodies the various features of the invention, which aparatus in itsaction attains the various obects of the invention and is well adaptedto meet the conditions of hard, practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention andas many changes might be made in the embodiment above described, it isto be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or illustratedin the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative andnot in a limiting ense.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus of the general nature of that herein described, incombination, a pair of adjacent belt ends, a plate member supported onone of said belt ends, a connecting member connected to said other beltend passing through said plate member and having an elongated openingtherein, and a wedge in said opening bearing against one side thereofand against said plate memher.

2. In apparatus of the general nature of that herein described, incombination, a pair of adjacent belt ends, a plate member supported oneach of said belt ends, connecting members passing through said platemembers and having elongated openings adjacent their ends, and wedges insaid openings bearing against one side thereof and against the adjacentplate member.

3. In apparatus of the general nature of that herein described, incombination, a pair of adjacent belt ends, connecting members passingthrough said belt ends and having openings therein adjacent their ends,and wedges driven into said openings and coacting with said connectingmembers to draw said two belt ends together.

4. In apparatus of the general nature of that herein described, incombination, a pair of upwardly bent contacting belt ends, con nectingmembers extending from one side of said pair of upwardly bent ends tothe other side thereof and having openings adjacent their ends, andtransverse wedge members driven into said openings cooperating with saidconnecting members to clamp said belt ends.

5. In apparatus of the general nature of that herein described, incombination, a pair Furthermore, there are no of ugwardly bent beltends, a plurality of mem said belt ends and having elongatedopeningsadjacent the other end, means about said connecting members between saidelongated openings therein and the adjacent belt end, and a plurality ofwedges in said elongated openings bearing against one side thereof andagainst said last means whereby said belt ends are clamped together.

6. In apparatus of the general nature of that herein described, incombination, a belt having two adjacent ends bent to contact along thepulley surfaces thereof, a pair of clamping plates one on either side ofsaid contacting ends having rounded contours adjacent the tension sidesof said belt ends to form curved contacting surfaces, a pair ofconnecting members passing through said belt ends and through saidclamping plates, and a pair of wedges coacting with said connectingmembers to draw said clamping plates together and clamp said belt endstherebetween.

7 In apparatus of the general nature of that herein described, incombination, a belt having two adjacent ends bent so that surfaces ofsaid belt ends contact along a plane angularly disposed relative to theplane of the belt; a pair of clamping plates, one on either side of saidcontacting belt ends; a pair of connecting links' passing through saidbelt ends and through said two clamping plates; and means at the ends ofsaid ers headed at one end passing through V two-connecting links forclamping together said two plates so as to permit a variable spacingbetween said two plates and to clamp said belt ends therebetween.

8. In apparatus ofi the general nature of that herein described, incombination, a

pair of clamping plates spaced one from the that herein described, incombination, a pair of adjacent belt ends bent upwardly so that theirpulley surfaces are substantially parallel and face to face, a pair ofclamping plates having said two bent ends interposed therebtween, a pairof links passing through said plates and said belt ends each of saidlinks being provided with a head at one end bearing against one of saidplates and at the other end with an elongated opening, and a pair ofwedges adapted to be driven into said elongated openings to force saidplates together and clamp said belt ends.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification thisseventh day of March, 1922.

GEORGE E. HULS-E.

